Musical play pen toy



Dec. 4, 1951 s. ZUCKERMAN MUSICAL PLAY PEN TOY Filed Aug. 10, 1946INVENTOR. SAM ZUCKERMAN 2W VF/u ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 4, 1951 MUSICALPLAY PEN TOY Sam Zuckerman, Arverne, N. Y.,

Ever-Rite Toy 00., Inc., corporation of New York assignor to New York,N. Y., a

Application August 10, 1946, Serial No. 689,677

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to a musical toy and more particularly to atoy oi the type including a number of bars or chimes to be struck, whichbars or chimes are so arranged in a support that they may readily besuspended across the bars or rails of a play pen, crib or similararticle of furniture; and also the structure is so arranged that it maybe stood on the floor and operated in the same manner as an Xylophone.

Also my invention relates to novel means for suspending musical chimesor bars in respect to support which carries the same.

Specifically, my invention contemplates an arrangement of chimes or barson a pair of opposite strings, the chimes or bars being spaced byappropriate spacers and the strings being carried by appropriatesupporting bars. The supporting bars are provided with means, such as astring, for securing the supporting bars and hence the whole instrumentacross the rails or bars of a play pen, crib or similar article; and thesupporting bars are also provided with openings for receiving andholding leg-like members so that the entire instrument may be rested onthe floor to be played.

Thus, the primary object of my invention is the provision of a novelmusical toy consisting of a plurality of musical chimes or bars soarranged that the toy may be attached across the rails or bars of a planpen, crib or similar article of furniture, and also so arranged that theentire toy may be stood on the floor to be played.

Thus, the primary object of my invention is the provision of a novelmusical toy consisting of a plurality of musical chimes or bars soarranged that the toy may be attached across the rails or bars of a playpen, crib or similar article of furniture, and also so arranged that theentire toy maybe stood on the floor to be played.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel suspensionmeans for chimes or musical bars comprising a pair of spaced tautstrings on which the chimes and musical bars are arranged in spacedrelation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of novel support meansfor a musical toy of the Xylophone type.

The foregoing and many other objects of my invention will becomeapparent in the following description and drawings in which Figure 1 isa plan view showing one form which my novel musical toy may take.

Figure 2 is a side view of the toy of Figure 1 showing supporting legmembers secured therein.

Figure 3 is a side view of one of the chimes or bars of the musical toyof Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side view of a modified form of the chime member of themusical toy of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side view of a play pen or crib rail showing the manner inwhich musical chimes or bars may be suspended therein in accordance withmy invention.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified form of musicalchime or bar for use in connection with the structure of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a side view of a modified form of spacing member.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, I have here shown my musical toy whichcomprises a pair of support bars l0 and I i provided with suitableopenings I3, IA, l5, [6 into which the crossbars l7, it are fitted toform a chime supporting structure. Cross-bar ll is fitted into openings[5 and [3 of support bars ill and H, and cross-bar I8 is fitted intoopenings 16 and M of crossbars l0 and H.

The cross-bars are secured in the openings above mentioned in anysuitable manner; preferably they are a tight force fit in the openingsand securement therein may be assisted by suitable adhesive. Thecross-bars H and l8 are provided with openings 2i], 2% and 2|, 21bbetween which the strings 22 and 23 are tensioned; that is, string 22 istensioned between throughopenings 20 and 20a of cross-bars l? and 18,and string 23 is tensioned between through-openings 2i and Zlb ofcross-bars H and 18.

As will be seen from examination of Figure 1, the openings 28, 28a and2!, Zlb are counterbored to provide a suitable recess for knots or otherholding means on the ends of the strings 22, 23. In the embodimentshown, however, the strings Z2, 23 are extended, as hereinafterdescribed, to form the securing means for the entire support.

The musical bars or chimes 35} (Figures 1 and 3) are hollow tubularmembers suitably dimensioned to provide an appropriate scale and areprovided with the through-openings 3t, 32 through which the strings 22and 23 respectively pass. The series of chimes or bars are spaced fromthe cross-bars it, it by appropriate spacer members such as the balls 53which are also provided with through-openings for the strings 22 and 23and the chimes or bars 38 are also spaced from each other by appropriatespacer members 35 in the form of spheres with throughopenings for thestrings 22, 23.

As seen in Figure 7, oval spacer members 3? a string. In the case of theuse of sphere-like chimes 40 of Figure 4, only one of the strings 22would be necessary for any row of chimes and the utilization of twostrings 22 and 23 would simply make it possible to use two row's'ofchimes in the same instrument.

While for simplicity of manufacture-the hollow tubular chime 33 ofFigure 3 is preferred, I may as shown in Figure 3 utilize a closed chime45 having a closed end 43 with an opening 41 in the end, the oppositeend being closed by the cap 48 secured in any suitable manner, the cap48 also having an opening 5i. Openings 53, 50 are provided so that thesupporting strings may pass through the chime of Figure 6.

As shown in Figure 1, the strings 22 and 23 are extended beyond theouter sides of the crossbars I! and I8 through openings 22 and 2| toform the strands I22 and I23, which may be knotted, twisted or simplycrossed at I03, I00. It is preferred that the string extensions I22, I23be simply twisted around each other in a simple twist, as shown inFigure 1.

The strings I22, I23 are then extended at 223 and 222 where they passthrough openings 6!], 38 in the ends of support bars II) and II. Herethe strings are knotted as shown at 6|, BI, the knot being pulledextremely tight so that the strings 22 and 23 supporting the chimemembers will be taut. The strings are then extended at 323 and 322 wherethey pass through an appropriate opening in the ornamental balls 63, 63and are extended therethrough to the securing strings 423 and 422.Strings 423 and 422 at each end may be tied across the rails or bars ofa play pen, crib or similar article of furniture, or a pair of stringson each side may be looped to be worn around strument to a hanging orsuspended instrument, as above described.

My novel support for musical chimes may of course be utilized in manyvaried and different ways. Thus, for instance, in Figure 5 I have shownmy musical chime members supported on strings 22 and 23 stretchedbetween post members III and H8 of the crib or play pen railing 200.Thus, the musical instrument is in this manner built right into thecrib, play pen or other similar article of furniture.

It will thus be seen that suspension means for the musical chimes 30 arefree of any solid or rigid bar. Chimes 30 are supported and hung solelyfrom the string'members 22 and 23 which may vibrate readily and whichpermits the chimes 30 to vibrate without striking any solid support orother object.

The musical toy is arranged for a variety of purposes and is thus acomposite toy which may be attached to an article of furniture, carriedby r a child or hung around a childs neck to be the neck of a child; orthe strings on both sides may be extended and tied together to form alarger loop to enable the instrument to be worn around the neck of achild; or the strings may be utilized to hang the instrument in anysuitable manner from any appropriate object so that the instrument maybe played by an appropriate mallet.

Should it be desired to play the instrument as a Xylophone on ahorizontal support, then leg members I0, I0 may be force fitted intoopenings II, II of the support members I0 and II so that the instrumentmay be placed on a horizontal surface and be played as a Xylophone.These \leg members 'IIJ may readily be inserted and removed by the childso that the instrument may \readily be changed from a floor or table-topinplayed by him, or which may be placed on the fioor or table-top to beplayed.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in connection witha specific illustrative embodiment thereof. Since many variations andmodifications of my invention will now be obvious to those skilled inthe art, I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosures hereincontained, but only by the appended claim.

I claim:

A musical Xylophone toy comprising a frame, a pair of strings supportedby said frame, a plurality of spaced chimes supported by said stringsand spaced thereby from said frame; pairs of alined transverse openingsin said chimes; said strings passing through the transverse openings insaid chimes; each string passing through alined openings, spacerssupported on said strings between said chimes; transverse openingsthrough said spacers; said strings passing through the openings of saidspacers, support feet removably mounted in said frame; additionaltransverse openings in said frame, said strings being slidably mountedin said last-mentioned openings; the ends of the strings on each sidebeing looped together; and additional means securing said ends of saidstrings together.

SAM ZUCKERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 578,749 Hyde Mar. 16, 18971,210,950 Kohler Jan. 2, 1917 1,575,961 Bartholomae Mar. 9, 19261,886,603 Strothotte Nov. 8, 1932 2,133,712 Musser Oct. 18, 19382,273,333 Schluter Feb. 17, 1942 Winnick June 25, 1946

